Sunday

Devotions this Week for 19th Century Catholic Bishop Richard Challoner featuring truths common to both Orthodox and Catholic teaching.

CONSIDER, first, that prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance,
are called cardinal virtues, because they are the hinges
upon Avhich the whole life of a Christian, must constantly move.
Of these the wise man says, they are “such things as men
can have nothing more profitable in life,” (Wisdom viii. 7.)
Every virtue must be prudent and discreet, otherwise it degenerates
into vice; it must be just both with respect to God,
and constant in adhering to what is right, and opposing iniquity;
and it must be sober and temperate, by not exceeding the
bounds of due moderation, prescribed by right reason and religion.
Consider, secondly, that Christian prudence teaches us what
is good, and what is evil, in every occurrance of life. It directs
all our words and actions in such manner, as that we
neither decline out of the way, or offend ourselves, nor give
occasion of offence to others : it makes always proper choice
of the means to bring us to our sovereign good. Its offices are:
to design and consult well, to judge right, and to direct well
the execution; but all this, with dependence on divine grace,
and not on one’s own industry and abilities.

Prayer:
This is the day which the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad therein.

Monday
Justice lenders to every one his due,
and wrongs no man, in word, action, omission or desire.
With regard to God, it obliges us before all things to dedicate
our whole heart and soul to him, to whom all is due. Fortitude
arms the soul with invincible courage, in her warfare
against her spiritual enemies, to do her duty, and with resolution
to suffer all, rather than to sin. Lastly, temperance restrains
all immoderation in eating or drinking, with all other
excesses of our passions or lusts, and keeps us within the
bounds of right reason, and the law of nature and religion.
Conclude to esteem and earnestly beg of God these excellent
virtues; of which we continually stand in need.

Prayer:
Blessed by the name of the Lord from henceforth and forever more.

 

Tuesday
*This Feast was last week but the commentary is being used this week from Bishop Challoner…

CONSIDER, first, that on this day the church of God honors
with a solemn festival, the virtues, the triumphs and the eternal
jubilee of all the saints and citizens of the heavenly.Jerusalem
1. in order to give glory and praise on their account to
the God of all the saints, and to his Son Jesus Christ, the author
of all their virtues : 2. to encourage all her children to
walk in their footsteps, in hopes of the like reward : 3. to teach
them to join in the mean time, in a holy communion with
them; and to procure the assistance of their prayers and intercession.
Consider, secondly, that all these holy ones, whose feast we
celebrate this day, are entered into the never-ending joys of
their Lord, at a very cheap rate : the yoke of his divine service,
which they bore for the short time of their pilgrimage, Avas very
sweet to them; and their burden very light. Grace and love
lade all things easy, which they did for their beloved. He
himself supported them in such manner, as to carry both tham
and their crosses too, upon his own shoulders. My soul, hast
not thou the same God as they had? Hast not thou the same
Saviour, Jesus Christ? Hast thou not all the same helps and
means of grace as they had! Why then mayest not thou also,
aspire to the same happiness and glory?
Consider, thirdly, that as divine love is the great principle
of all sanctity; so we have before our eyes this day the bright
example of millions of heavenly lovers, to excite us to love :
This most amiable and ever blessed Yirgin; these innumerable
legions of angelic spirits; these cherubim and seraphim, all on
fire with love; these patriarchs and prophets; these apostles
of the Lamb, sent by him to spread over all the earth the bright
flames of love; those armies of martyrs, who all laid down
their lives for love; those millions of holy, confessors : in a
word, all those spotless virgins, the spouses of divine love;
whose love of God was stronger than death. may our frozen
hearts receive some warmth at least, from all their flames.
Conclude to love, honor and imitate the saints of God.
Thus shall you experience their powerful intercession at present,
and enjoy their blissfull society hereafter.

Prayer:
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.  As it was in the beginning it is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Wednesday
The dignity of a Christian is indeed
very great. He has the honor to be enrolled in the service of
the great King : he is made his friend and his favorite : he is
even adopted through Jesus Christ, to be a child of God and
heir to his eternal kingdom. The Son of God has made him
partaker of his Spirit; of his kingly and priestly unction, and,
in some measure, of his divine nature. But alas! may we not
too justly apply to the greatest part of those who are raised to
this inexpressible dignity, that of the royal prophet: man when
he was in honor did not understand; “he hath been compared
to senseless beasts, and made like to them.” [Ps. xlviii. 21.]
Consider, thirdly, that the essential duties of every Christian,
are reduced by the psalmist into a small compass. “Turn
away from evil and do good.” The first part requires a settled
determination of the soul never to commit a wilful mortal sin,
for any consideration whatever; no not even to save one’s life.
The second part requires a constant attention to do the will of
God in all things, and to advance every day in divine love.
Do this, my soul, and thou shalt be a saint.
Conclude hence forward to have always before your eyes both
the dignity and sanctity

Prayer:
Create in me a clean heart of God and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not from thy presence nor take thy Holy Spirit from me.    Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and by thy governing spirit establish me.

Thursday
God declares in his word, that all his
people ought to be saints. “Be ye holy, because I, the Lord
your God am holy,” was what he continually inculcated in
the Old Testament : and in the New, the Son of God cries out
to us all, (Matth. v. 14.) “Be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father
is perfect.” And the apostle tells us, [Rom. i. 7.] that
all Christians are “CALLED to be saints a chosen generation,
a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people;” [1
Peter ii. 9.] Hence the name of saints is appropriated by St.
Paul to all the faithful.
Consider, secondly, that though all are not commanded to
work miracles, or to exercise extraordinary austerities, or to
retire into deserts to spend their whole time in prayer, or to
sell all they have and give it to the poor, (for there have been
many very great saints, who have done none of these things;)
yet ALL are commanded to love God with their whole heart,
with their whole soul, with their whole mind, and with theii
whole strength. Do this, my soul, and thou also shalt be a
saint : but without this, nothing else will avail.

Prayer:   O give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.

Friday
God, in commanding us all to become
saints, does not command, what is impossible. Witness those
manifold graces and spiritual helps, with which he continually
favors us; to which if we daily attended, we should all be
saints. Witness that early knowledge of his heavenly truths;
those repeated invitations, with which he sweetly presses us
to be converted from our evil ways, and to turn to him. If we
did but welcome these first divine calls, they would produce in
our souls strong desires of Christian perfection, and that “hunger
and thirst after justice,” recommended by our Lord, which
never fails of being filled, [Matth. v. 7.]
Consider, secondly, the particular means of divine grace,
which we enjoy in tbe church of God. The sacraments were
instituted by Jesus Christ, on purpose to make us saints; especially
that most holy sacrament and divine sacrifice of his own
body and blood; in which we have always in the midst of us,
and may daily approach, the very fountain of all sanctity. O
Christian, one good and perfect communion might suffice to
make you a saint ! Besides the advantages derived from the
frequent hearing and reading of the word of God, from the great
examples of the saints, and of the living servants of God ;
from the mysteries of our redemption so often rendered in a
manner present to the eyes of our soul in the public worship of
the church; and abundant other helps to perfection. If then
we are not saints, the fault must be in ourselves.

Prayer:
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
From St. Patrick’s ‘Breastplate’

Saturday
The church of God, attending
to the necessities of great numbers of her children departed
out of this life, in her faith and communion, but not without
some blemish of sin in their souls; some smaller stains, at
least, of “idle words,” or other venial offences; some “wood,
hay, or stubble” in their building, according to the language of
St. Paul, which cannot stand the fire; or some debt to divine
justice on account of former sins not sufficiently expiated by
penance, turns all her prayers and sacrifices to procure for
them a full pardon, and a speedy admittance into eternal rest.
O how holy and wholesome, is the institution of this day of expiation
“to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from
their sins!” (2 Macchab. xii. 46.) Alas! how few depart
this life so pure, as to be immediately admitted to that blessed
city above, where “nothing defiled can enter in!” (Apoc. xxi.
It is then a duty of Christian charity incumbent on us all,
to pray for our brethren who are gone before us, that they may
rest in peace.
Consider, secondly, that the spiritual works of mercy are of
all the most acceptable to God; and praying for the dead is
justly numbered among these spiritual works of mercy, since
it is doing the souls of our brethren the greatest charity imaginable.
In effect, we thus contribute, as far as we are able, to
deliver them from their evils, and to bring them to their sovereign
good. It is also a most excellent mean of obtaining
mercy for ourselves: “for the merciful shall obtain mercy,”
(Matth. xi. 7.)
Consider, thirdly, that fasting and other exercises of penance
and charity, performed in behalf of the faithful departed, according
to the religious custom of former ages, and the practice
of our pious ancestors in their doles at the funerals of the
dead, are of great benefit to them. But the sacrifice of the
body and blood of our Lord in the holy mass, pleads still more
powerfully in favor of the living and the dead.
Conclude diligently to assist the souls of the faithful departed,
both by prayers, alms, and this holy oblation of the blood
of Christ. Your charity for them may one day prove highly
beneficial to yoursel

Prayer:
We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for thy great  glory.